Folia archeologica 47.
István Vörös: A Denevér úti kovabánya agancsleletei (Budapest-Farkasrét)
92 ISTVÁN VÖRÖS Cutting on 27 separate trays was started by carving while on 3 ones was started by cord cutting. Later, however, they were snapped off leaving a diagonal or rickrack fracture. Separate brow tines were cut off by carving and from the trez tines 12 pieces were removed by carving. Except 4 ones which are cut up by cord-cutting (F4. 1.-115, 136; F4. 2.-116; F4. 4.-74.) all the other crowns were removed by carving. Initial cut marks are on 8 antler parts. Cut marks indicating the unfinished truncation of tines can be seen on the trez tines of three beams (CI.-68; C2.-53; D1.-140.). These cut marks appear as single wider circular stripes in two cases and as two, narrow burrows in one case. The surfaces of the antlers represent the natural condition: the beams and the main tines are well pearled, the prongs of the main and crown tines are smooth. The weathered, shiny surface of tne prongs is not the result of some artificial operation but that of natural wear and tear. Traces of surface shaping are present on three antlers of the Denevér street find assemblage. The surface of a trez tine (F3.-82.) was poilshed to be smooth and on a beam (D2.-78.) and on a trez tine (F3.-39.) the surface of the cortex had been peeled off, carved by the so-called "draw-knife technique". The long, wide cut marks refer to the use of a large-sized tool with a long edge. The cutting up and shaping of the antler, this hard material, gives the semblance of the elaboration of a material as soft as "wood" made by hard tools. Similar cord-cutting methods can be observed on the thick, tubular bones of aurochs found in the Szarvas 23., and Endrőd 119. sites of the Körös culture. 1 4 As a hypothesis it is possible that before their working and shaping antlers were put into water for some time to make them pliant. 15 4.6. Antler tools Antler is a special osseous growth. Because of its excellent characteristics it was the raw material of large, crude as well as of smaller, delicate tools and weapons, especially in the prehistory. Because of its peculiar structure antler is extremely flexible, pliable and because of its toughness it is able to accumulate great energies. Among others this makes it especially suitable to make hammers or digging/ scooping - both agricultural and mining tools - of it. 1 6 As it is well demonstrated by the great number of worn, broken antler tools found in conspicuously large quantity at prehistoric sites the only sort of stresses an antler is aunable to resist is tne one causing attrition and burnishing when the antler tool is used. In the Denevér street flint mine altogether 250 antler remains were found. 185 pieces of them Gábori-Csánk, Vera determined as mining tools. She determined "piercing tools" of a single or of double function, noting that in the latter group could be also "expanding" tools and those ones which could be used also as "hammers". 1 7 Actually the classification of antler tools has not been made satisfactorily so far. Morphological and/or functional viewpoints are necessarily mixed in their study and according to the concept of actualism the notion "maybe it was used also for that" is rather widespread. 1 8 The primary mark and also the proof of the utilization of an antler as a tool are the so-called traces of use or of working which are on the surface of the antler, furthermore an optimum form shaped to do its duty as an implement. To get an 1 4 Makkay 1990. Abb. 13.-14. 1 5 Dietrich 1986, 236. 1 6 Glutton - Brock 1984, 17. 1 7 Gábori-Csánk 1989. 16-17. 1 8 Sandars 1910; Vértes 1964; Bauer - Spitzenberg 1970; Bácskay - Vörös 1980; Brökner 1980. For further literature see the references.
